Can I ask your opinion on this house?

[Waer]

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/150313073#/?channel=RESBUY

Dh and I have viewed this house. We decided it’s got gorgeous bones but probably a bit too much work needed. I wouldn’t normally mind the work but it is at the VERY top of our budget if not a little over. Just buying the property would leave us flat broke. It would be stunningly beautiful with a bit of work done to it. I’m not sold on the layout either so we aren’t talking just a lick of paint.

Dh and I have had a difficult few years. I just don’t know if it’s worth living with the stress of a house needing work.

An annexe is something that dh and I have on our dream house list as in an ideal world my mum would move in with us (but not for 5 or so years).

i just can’t get it out of my head. Wdyt?

I would 100% forget it. I was brought up in a house that constantly needed something doing to it. It's expensive, stressful and messy and you'd spend every last penny on it.

i wouldn’t buy it because of the layout. The dining room is too far from the kitchen. I can’t see how you could address that. The living room is too long and finally I hate the conservatory. The garden looks lovely.

It’s grade two listed as well, which is the last straw for me.

Been on for ages - very cheeky offer? I love it 😻

It looks like it needs a lot of work.

I would want all of the flooring replaced before I moved in personally, and that's just for starters.

If you've had a rough go of things, I would not take on more.

After my divorce I moved into a fully renovated home and it was so nice to not need to do a thing.

Unfortunately a flood meant a lot of work and all my flooring ripped out.

It reminded me of why I never want to live in a fixer upper again.

Looks like the whole place needs updating which is going to cost a lot of money. Everything looks like it's in a usable condition, but can you put up with it's current granny-fied state while you work on it slowly?

Given that it's a minimum of a cool million, you're hesitant and it's going to leave you broke and unable to fix it up to completion for years, I would say move on.

Possibly a bit outing but I've actually viewed it too. The pictures do not do justice to how much work is needed.

Sorry OP it doesn't sound like you can realistically afford it as you said its the top of your budget and still needs work. Lovely house though!

Gorgeous garden and house outside but looks pretty dark inside (small windows upstairs and the main lights are all on in the rooms). If listed I assume you won’t be able to address that. Shame!

You lost me with ‘it’s got gorgeous bones’.

Erm, what?

It’s a perfectly normal turn of phase for houses?

It needs some internal reconfiguring for me as well as a general update. Some of the electrics need sinking and there’s an electric heater in on room so possibly only parts of the house being modernised.

I think it’s lovely but it’s down to you, your budget and your capacity to manage it. Only you know if you are biting off more than you can chew.

I think you'd be absolutely mad. The estate agent blurb says TWICE "in need of renovation /modernisation" then "considerable modernisation/upgrading required" - that sounds like it's a lot more than re-painting, and it needs things like rewiring, a new roof, a new kitchen, new bathrooms, maybe there's loads of damp you can't see, leaking windows, single glazed throughout (bit sure if it says either way), badly fitting front door.

And being G2 listed means all those things will cost a lot more than if it wasn't, and be a lot of hassle to arrange.

And they might be the sort of things where you couldn't just decide to defer them for 5 years where you get the money together, because the roof is about to fall in now /it's so energy inefficient that every winter you are freezing cold despite spending ££££ on heating. Etc.

If it's already top of your budget you would be mad to go for it.

Normal thing to say about houses

OP, as someone who's lived through a few renovations, all of which uncovered problems that weren't obvious at the start - don't take this on! It's clear from the pictures that not only does this house have an impossibly awkward layout, but that every single room has been shoddily finished. It will be a nightmare to transform, and you'll spend a fortune that you won't recoup. Its bones ought to be beautiful but they've been so broken that there's not a single room that you could take pleasure in while you work on everything else. Find another dream!

We all want houses we can't afford though!

No, if you can’t afford to do the work immediately or within 6 months you’ll be living in a house that you don’t really like and finding it frustrating. Painting would obviously help and that’s not too expensive but those carpets aren’t great so it’d still be hard to make the rooms into what you might want

Aaaah I'd see if I could get it for a cheeky price tbh OP. It's been on the market since last July so might be open to offers?

As far as I can see, it's perfectly liveable - just a bit dated (mainly). I had a look at nearby properties (3 mile radius) and there's nothing that comes even remotely close in terms of size and capacity for an annexe (and I included those that were SSTC too).

If you can make the ££ work by getting a bargain offer accepted, and you plan on staying here for a very long time, I'd absolutely go for it.

We bought a fixer-upper two years ago - that wasn't the original plan but we needed an annexe for DM and houses that can accommodate an annexe are in very short supply. It's been a lot of work and we've still got bits and pieces to do but I bloody love my house and I don't regret the decision to move here.

For me, it would all hinge on whether you can get it at the right price.

No from me, as previous poster said apart from renovations dinning room too far from kitchen. Annexe has stairs to it so fine for student but possible not as someone is getting older.

'A staircase in the rear hall accesses the Annex above, set up as a rather useful apartment that could easily continue to be let separately as now, or it could be a teenage "den"/ nanny flat.'

Does this mean there's currently a tenant living in part of the property? That could potentially be a problem if you're not wanting to become a landlord. I wouldn't offer on a house without vacant possession as there's no guarantee the tenant will move out at the end of their lease.

There’s around 150k of work that needs doing in that house to get it up to scratch. If this is at the top of your budget don’t do it.
No point living in a 1M cold, crumbling mansion with.
Realistically you need new bathrooms, a lot of work in the kitchen, possibly a new boiler, perhaps some damp as conservatories are ripe for leaks and general redecoration costs a bomb in a house that size.

It's lovely. But you can't afford it.

It’s not a “normal thing”. It’s something that people who are steeped in property redevelopment chat and estate agent speak say.

Please for the love of god @Wigeon can folk on here stop trying to shame others for not knowing the lingo about something

That’s not necessarily true. It’s been on for ages. The price is wishful thinking. Everyone has a price in the end

It’s stunning 😍 however with the amount of work that needs doing it’s not worth what they want for it (got to love agents who price per sq ft regardless of condition!)
As per pp above, it needs at least £150k spending on it so offer them £850k to get it out of your system. BUT before you do, read up on the unholy nightmare that is getting permission to do anything on a Grade 2 listed property. It’s probably in such poor condition currently because of the expense/planning faff/lack of trades capable to work on it